Publisher's Summary

Twenty-one years ago, Carol Fullerton's car was found abandoned by the side of a California highway. The teenager hasn't been seen or heard from since, and the case has long since gone cold. Now Carol's mother is dying. But before she draws her last breath she wants to know, once and for all, exactly what happened to her daughter....

Six months ago, Diane Kramer emptied her savings account and vanished. According to her sister, Andrea, the only clue to her whereabouts is her obsession with a charismatic weight-loss guru known for his unorthodox methods. Now Andrea fears Diane's body issues may have cost her more than she bargained for....

Kidnapped and terrorized as a teenager by a serial killer, Sacramento PI Lizzy Gardner knows better than anyone that letting go is easier said than done. The police have had their chance to save these women. Now it's Lizzy's turn.

Dead Weight is Book 2 of Theresa Ragan's six novel Lizzy Gardner series. The series is best read in order, which I did not do. Book 6, when Lizzy leaves the private detective business, seems to complete the series. That is unfortunate because Lizzy and her weird group of cohorts are really interesting as are her cases.

Kate Rudd, who narrates the entire series, is one of the best.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Matthew

Brighton, MA, United States

2/04/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Don't Bother"

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

More organized plot, it was a bit to all over the place. T.R Ragen did such a great job with Abducted but lost a lot of steam in this book. Jared one of the main charecters in the first book was barely even a part of this one and when he was it wasn't in a way you would think or enjoy.

Has Dead Weight turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, Still love mysteries and the first book in this series.

Would you be willing to try another one of Kate Rudd’s performances?

Sure, she does a good job at the different style of voices.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not really.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Mary S. Murray

Ruffin, NC USA

29/06/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Good Series - but has a lot of room for improvemen"

Any additional comments?

One of the things that I think that could make this series a tad bit better would be for Lizzie to NOT jump out of her car and try to confront anyone she thinks is following her. When she does this I just have to roll my eyes thinking that anyone who had been abducted and would not open her door without her glock in hand would NOT be getting ready to open a stranger's car door just to find out why they were tailing her.While it is a little bit disconcerting to have multiple cases in one book - it is realistic in the one a PI would work. But you can't make any money if the bad guy is always the one hiring you.This is a good book and has some very realistic characters in it. Haley and Jessica are very believable in the way they handle trauma - I'm very glad that Haley stopped short in her seeking of revenge.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Trista

Houston, TX, United States

3/03/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"keeps you listening"

Would you consider the audio edition of Dead Weight to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

It's a pretty good mystery.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

This is the second book I've listened to in the series. I do enjoy the books, but the reader can be a bit distracting at times. It's like she's trying to read to a five-year old at times.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sitting? That's the whole point of audiobooks, so we don't have to sit.

Any additional comments?

I like Kate Rudd. I just with she would relax a little in her reading. Sometimes it's like she's trying to read to a child.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

VanDelay

Boston, MA

24/05/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Not as good as the first, but still worth a listen"

I had no sooner finished book 1, Abducted, when I bought books 2 and 3. I liked this book, but not as much as the first.

I multi-task while I listen, and change the type of books I read depending on my activity and need to concentrate on the task vs. the book. This book required a little more attention, particularly in the beginning where you get the set up of the two plot threads.

While some readers found the book disjointed because of the two stories, I did not. It seemed perfectly reasonable that a PI would work on multiple cases simultaneously, especially when she has other employees. However, I did have to go back and remind myself which secondary characters were in which thread at one point because I hadn't committed it well enough in my head the first go-round. I bought both the book and audio, so this was easy to do.

The book is not equally divided between the two stories, and does follow the "dead weight" thread more heavily, especially toward the end. There was some interesting character development in this book, building upon those characters of the first book. This continues into book 3, and as the way book 3 left it, I assume in book 4, but there are no major cliff-hangers.

While this is a stand-alone mystery, the character development is not. It's best to read book 1 first and then enjoy the next several in the series.

I like this author and will look up other novels she has written under TR as well as Theresa Ragan.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Kelly

Colorado Springs

27/11/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Unorganized and Messy."

This book is not as good as the first in the series. I had so much hope for this series because of the premise. I love Lizzy's backstory and her reason for becoming a detective. Unfortunately it isn't well written. Jared is barely present. The mystery isn't very startling and doesn't surprise. Overall the book feels like a first draft rather than a well-edited sophomore effort.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

19/10/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"love the series"

The author keeps your interest with twists Nd turns throughout the story. Very good plot and narration.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

mel

12/09/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"loved it "

I really enjoyed this book the narrators voice is perfect for the character. The storyline kept me wanting to hear more and more.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

joanie t

3/08/16

Overall

"Less than I expected"

I didn't enjoy the premise of story. Too unbelievable.Predictable to a fault. Poor writing.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

lmsun8

23/06/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Outstanding"

Excellent characters! No dull moments! Most of the time I can't figure out who the killer is! I am taking notes like I am the detective! Can't wait to devour the entire series

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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TubbyTabby

UK

15/01/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"I enjoyed Hayley's revenge story"

I found that Hayley's vengeance was a lot more interesting than the weight watch warriors. After book one, I feel the series reader has much more invested in the character of Hayley, than the newly introduced characters. Maybe it's just me, having a huge soft spot for the weirdo, outsider, I married one, after all :-) only I hope, a less damaged, less violent version. :-pIn hoping Lizzy and Jared get her a good lawyer, and she gets away with a mild slap on the wrist, that is US justice for white girls, isn't it? Though, she looks a bit odd, if they were any further south, they prosecution would do a WM3 on Lizzy, Jessica and Hayley, and the next few books would be rather tiresome :-(

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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